by Kit Morgan
Eloise had sat quietly and listened to the men. Their talk of strangers began to make her nervous. “How many are there?” she asked, curious.
“About seven as I recollect,” said Chase. “There's a big man with an eye patch; he seems to be their leader. I took care of a couple of their horses, then came out to the picnic.”
“Did they pay you?” asked the sheriff.
“Sure enough did; didn't have any problems with that.”
“Well …” pondered the sheriff. “Maybe they won't be any trouble. Best spread the word and keep an eye out though, just in case.”
* * *
When they got back to town, the sheriff and Chase parted from Seth and Eloise at the sheriff’s office. Sure enough, there were indeed strangers in Clear Creek. A few of them came out of the hotel, sauntered down the street, and milled around in front of the saloon, while another two sat on a bench on the hotel’s front porch. Seth parked the wagon in front of it, got out, and then helped Eloise down. “Evening,” he greeted.
One of them, a thin, scraggly-looking fellow, gave him a curt nod in return. The other man, one equally as scraggly but much larger and meaner looking, gawked at Eloise.
Seth noted the fire of lust smoldering in his eyes, and gently pushed her behind him. “Are you needing a room for the night?” he asked in an even tone.
“That's not up to us,” said the man not looking at Eloise like she was a pork chop. “That's up to our…” he quickly glanced at his counterpart, then looked back at Seth “… our boss.”
“And where is he?” asked Seth.
“He's in the hotel eatin’ his supper,” the thin man told him.
“Kind of nosy, ain’t cha?” asked the larger man, as he craned his neck to get a better look at Eloise.
“Not at all,” said Seth. “I work here. It's my business to see if you're going to stay.”
“Sure is fancy,” said the thin man. “Especially for a town the likes of this one.”
“We enjoy it,” said Seth. “Now, if you gentlemen will excuse us, we’ll be on our way.” He took Eloise by the hand, wrapped her arm in his, and escorted her inside. His eyes flicked to the man who'd been watching her, a glint of steel in them, just enough to let him know he’d been warned.
Once inside, he led Eloise up the stairs to the second floor to drop her off at their quarters. “These are our rooms,” he told her. “I want you to stay here while I go see what these men want. I'll send Mrs. Upton up to help you with your dress.”
“But I haven't anything else to wear,” she told him.
He opened the door and ushered her inside. “Yes, you do.”
“Seth, this is all I have. I didn't bring anything else. I left my other dress with Sadie and Belle.”
He smiled as he closed the door behind them, then turned and watched Eloise examine the small parlor. “Like it?” he asked.
“Oh, Seth,” she said. “It's lovely.” She walked to the other side of the room and turned a full circle to take everything in. “It’s so charming.”
Seth beamed in satisfaction. “Glad you like it. Here, let me show you the rest,” he said and pointed to another room. “That there's the bedroom and over here is the dining room. I’m afraid we’ll have to cook downstairs in the main kitchen, I hope that's all right with you.”
“It's fine; I’m going to love living here,” she said.
Seth gazed at her, and noticed the admiration in his eyes. “I’d best get downstairs.”
“Will you… be gone long?” she asked with a blush.
“Not unless I have to be, darlin’. Don't worry; I'll be back as soon as I can.” He crossed the room to a small box sitting on a table, opened it, and pulled something out. He then went to where she stood. “Here, take this,” he said and handed her a key. “Lock the door after I'm gone.”
“You don't think they're bad men, do you?”
“Well, darlin’, as we both know, you can't judge a book by its cover. But until I find out what’s in that book, I’m not taking any chances.” He kissed her on the cheek and left her standing there, key in hand.
She remained where she was a moment and stared at the closed door, feeling helpless and curious at the same time. What if the strangers were bad men? What if something were to happen to Seth? What would she do? Should she go downstairs and help? But no, Seth said to lock the door, and so that's what she did.
That done, she put the key back in its box, and began to explore her new home. The parlor was larger than she’d expected, and she delighted in its furnishings and pretty wallpaper. All in all, it was quite rich-looking, and she had to remind herself that she was in a hotel. The rooms were obviously one of the perks of working for Mr. Van Cleet, and she began to ponder how the wiry little man managed to build with such extravagance, when a knock sounded on the door.
Eloise grabbed the key. “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Mrs. Upton!” came the reply.
Eloise unlocked the door and let her in.
“Well, hello, honey!” said Mrs. Upton as she happily shoved past Eloise into the room. “I've been dying to see what it looks like up here!”
“Very charming, I'd say,” said Eloise. “I know Seth sent you to help me with my dress, but I'm afraid I haven't anything to change into.”
“You ain't gonna have to worry about that, honey! It is your wedding night!”
“Mrs. Upton!” Eloise said, aghast.
“Oh, don't be embarrassed. I remember what it was like when I was married. Besides, you've got a little present in the bedroom.”
“How do you know?”
“Because your husband done told me so! Now c’mon, I want to see what it is!”
Eloise let out a laugh at her exuberance, and then crossed the room to the bedroom door. They went inside, and on the bed were two boxes wrapped in silver paper. Eloise stopped short and stared at them. “Look at how pretty they are.”
“Well, don't just stand there!” urged Mrs. Upton. “Open them!”
A sudden shiver of excitement went up her spine. She smiled at Mrs. Upton, went to the bed, and sat next to her gifts. “They’re almost too pretty to open.”
Mrs. Upton put her hands on her hips. “Don't keep a body waitin’! Get on with it! I want to see what that handsome new husband of yours has bought you!”
“He bought these?”
“Honey, he bought those before you ever arrived.”
“What? Are you saying Seth bought these before my sisters and I came to Clear Creek?”
“Yes, that's what I'm saying. Now, hurry it up.”
Eloise didn't know what to think. But then, hadn’t August built Penelope that wonderful little farmhouse, then decorated and furnished it himself? And even though Ryder didn't have much in the way of material things, he did his best to prepare a place for Constance, such as it was. So why wouldn't Seth do the same for her, even if he did buy only a couple of frocks? At least she assumed that’s what they were, considering he told Mrs. Upton to come up and help her change. “Well, here goes.” she said.
Eloise took the first box, undid the ribbon, and carefully unwrapped the paper. If there was one thing she learned during their long journey from England to Clear Creek, it was how to be frugal. She was sure she could use the paper for something else later. The paper removed, she opened the box, and gasped.
“Good Lord!” breathed Mrs. Upton. “Will you just look at that pretty thing!”
Eloise stood and pulled the dress out of the box. It was indeed beautiful, and looked very expensive. “Did there used to be a dressmaker in town?” she asked.
“The only dressmaker in this town is the ladies’ sewing circle. But we didn't make this.”
Eloise held the beautiful dress against her body. The length was perfect. “I hope it fits, especially as he got it before I arrived.”
“Maybe so, but it looks like it's going to fit you just fine, honey,” said Mrs. Upton. “Why don’t you try it on?”
Eloise grinned in delight
and glanced around the bedroom. There was a screen in one corner, and she hurried behind it. “Mrs. Upton, can you help me?”
“It's why I'm here, honey! Now let's make that new husband of yours proud he did somethin’ right.”
“Did something right? Whatever do you mean?”
“The dress, silly! If he sees you in it, and it fits, he'll be happy to know you’re the woman it was meant for.”
Eloise looked over her shoulder and smiled. She hadn’t thought of it that way.
“After we get you into this, I’ll run back to the kitchen and whip up a little something for the two of you to munch on before bed. It'll calm those wedding night jitters, ya know.”
“Wedding night jitters?”
“Not everybody has them. If it were me, I certainly wouldn't!” She stopped fiddling with the buttons of the wedding dress, and thought a moment. “Of course, any husband of mine might!” They laughed, and soon Mrs. Upton had her out of her wedding dress, and into the pretty new one. Once that was done, she left Eloise and went back to the kitchen.
There was a mirror on the other side of the bedroom. She'd been so intent on the gifts Seth left on the bed that she hadn’t noticed it before. She stood in front of it, and studied her reflection. The dress was a powder-blue calico, and made her eyes look brighter. Eloise quickly freshened her hair, pinched her cheeks, and then left the bedroom to wait for Seth in the parlor. She didn't have to wait long.
Fifteen
Eloise sat demurely on the settee as Seth entered the room. She looked at him and smiled. “That didn't take long.”
“Nope,” he said. “And I, for one, am sure glad it didn't.”
Eloise twisted her hands in her lap and continued to gaze at him. “Are the strangers gone?” she asked.
“Yep, they ate their fill, mounted up and rode off,” he told her. “Poor Mr. Van Cleet had to cook supper and serve them until Mrs. Upton got back from the picnic.”
Eloise giggled, despite her nervousness. “It’s a good thing she came back early,” said Eloise. “She’s a big help. I'm glad Mrs. Upton is here with us.”
“To be honest, darlin’, I'm glad she's not here with us! Not right now, anyway.” He crossed the parlor to the settee and sat next to her. “My, my, but that dress sure looks good on you; brings out the color in your eyes.”
She blushed and went back to wringing her hands. Seth noticed the action and stilled them with one of his own. “I guess I’m a little nervous,” she said.
He scooted closer and put an arm around her. “There isn't anything to be nervous about, darlin',” he whispered in her ear. “And if you're all that nervous, then we can wait.”
“Oh, but I… I mean… you don't have to do that for me.”
He put his other arm around her, and drew her closer. He kissed her forehead, then her cheek, and was soon nuzzling her neck. “Oh, I can wait if you really want me to,” he mumbled against her skin.
Eloise shivered in his arms and closed her eyes. His lips assaulted her neck with tender kisses that took her breath away.
“What's that, darlin'?” he asked. He pulled her closer and moved to the other side of her neck, attacking it with the same army of kisses. “Did you say you wanted to wait?” he breathed in her ear.
Eloise went limp in his arms. She could scarcely breathe, let alone talk. His assault on her senses was downright deadly, and she was quickly losing the fight. In moments, all her sense would be gone.
“What?” he said as he nibbled his way to her ear once more. “You say you want to go into the bedroom?”
Eloise opened her mouth to speak but the only thing to escape her was a moan. A moan she didn't even recognize. What was her husband doing to her?
Seth pulled away and looked at her, his eyes wide. “You do? Well, why didn’t ya just say so?” Before she could protest (not that she could talk anyway) or do anything, Seth stood, pulled her up beside him, and without warning, scooped her into his arms, a huge smile on his face. “Who am I to argue with your demands?” he said, his grin turning positively devilish. “To the bedroom it is then, Mrs. Jones!”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he silenced her with a kiss. This one did her in. She moaned, the battle lost, and went limp in his arms.
He broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes. “Did you still want to wait, Mrs. Jones?”
Eloise stared at him, and tried to catch her breath. “No,” she managed.
Seth smiled again. “Now ain’t that funny?” he asked. “Somehow I just knew you'd say that.” He looked into her eyes in that special way she'd come to know and said, “You know what, Mrs. Jones?”
She shook her head, speech beyond her now.
He brought his face to within a hair's breadth of hers. “I think I’ve plumb fallen in love with you.”
Her lower lip trembled in response as tears filled her eyes. She'd often dreamt of the moment when a man told her that he loved her, and had always wondered how it would make her feel. As he turned and carried her into the bedroom, she could now say she knew.
* * *
The next morning, Eloise awoke to the warmth and comfort of Seth's strong embrace. He held her against his body in a tangle of arms and legs, a total prisoner of his love. He'd arrested her with it, questioned her with it, and if she had been standing, would have brought her to her knees with it. She now knew what it was like to belong to a man, and to be completely and utterly surrendered.
“Hey there, darlin',” a husky voice whispered in her ear. “You awake?”
“Yes,” she said in a small voice.
“It's sun-up,” he said. “We'd best get dressed.”
She squirmed in his arms, and he loosened his hold so she could turn to face him. “Good morning, Mr. Jones,” she said and then kissed him.
“I like the way you say good morning,” he said after she broke the kiss.
She kissed him again and pulled him close. When she lifted her face from his, she gazed into his eyes. “What did you say about getting up?”
“Did I say something about getting up? I don't remember.” With that, his lips descended on hers. It would be a long time before either of them thought of getting out of bed.
* * *
By the time Seth and Eloise did get out of bed, it was late morning. Seth went downstairs to the kitchen to fetch them some food as Eloise dressed. She felt giddy, cherished, and loved all at the same time. It was the most glorious, wondrous feeling she'd ever had in her life. Marriage, she concluded, was indeed a beautiful thing.
When Seth returned, they ate their breakfast in companionable silence, as far as speaking goes, that is. Their eyes, the gentle expressions they gave each other, and the way their hands brushed against the other while passing the salt, spoke another language. If one could but sit and watch them, it was easy to see that Eloise and Seth had fallen in love.
“I ran into Ryder in the kitchen,” Seth told her.
“Oh, my goodness,” she said. “I'd completely forgotten they were in the hotel.”
“He's taking Othello out to the Triple C in a little while. Harrison has another mare he wants to breed with him. If you like, we could go along.”
“Don't you have to work in the hotel today?”
“Darlin', we just got married, and as there are no guests that need looking after, I'm considering this a day off.”
She giggled and blushed as she remembered the night they shared. “Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here?”
“You know I would, darlin’,” he said. “But Ryder and your sister will be leaving tomorrow to go home. I thought you might want to spend time with her before they do.”
Eloise smiled at his generous offer. “Thank you,” she said. “I'd love to be able to see Constance before she goes home.”
“That's what Ryder and I thought, too. He rode out to August's place so that Penelope could join you.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” she said with a small clap of her hands. “Thank you so much.”
<
br /> They finished their breakfast, gathered their dishes on a tray, and took it downstairs to the kitchen. After washing the dishes, they put everything away and went to get ready for an afternoon at the Triple C.
Once back in their rooms, Eloise opened her other gift from Seth and discovered a beautiful, pink-calico day dress. She put it on and admired it in the full-length mirror of the bedroom. “Oh, Seth! It's so pretty!” she went to where he stood on the other side of the bed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him soundly.
This time, her kiss managed to take his breath away. “Land sakes, darlin’! You do much more of that and we’ll never get out of here!”
“If it wasn't for my sister leaving town tomorrow, we would definitely be staying.”
Seth let out a shaky sigh as he looked her up and down. “You sure do know how to make a man crazy,” he said. “I have a mind to keep you here anyway.”
“You'll do no such thing! Who knows how long it will be before I see Constance again. Now, let's go.”
They went downstairs where Constance and Penelope waited. Ryder and August had gone to the livery stable to hitch up Seth's wagon. One that was done, they were off.
It was a beautiful day and the three sisters chatted happily in the wagon bed as Seth and August spoke in low tones up front. Ryder rode Othello, and planned to leave him at the ranch for a week or so. In the meantime, Seth would loan him his horse and wagon so he could get home and take care of business at his place before venturing back to Clear Creek to pick up the horse.
They reached the ranch, happy, content, and in high spirits. The three sisters loved spending time together and now that each was married, they delighted in stolen glances of their husbands and blush-filled whispers to one another about them. The men, when they could, did the same, sans the blushing and whispering.
“Well it's about time you chaps got here,” said Harrison as he stepped out the front door and onto the porch.
The men helped their wives down from the wagon. “Some people were slow to get started this morning,” said Ryder with a smile as he winked at his brother.